new beginnings // michael clifford

Chapter 22: A Year

*1 year later*

Summer's POV

A lot can happen in a year, but not much changed over the past year. I guess some things changed over this year but not like the year before. I mean I don't take things so seriously anymore, like school for example. I care about it but I don't spend all of my time doing homework and trying to get perfect grades. My dad's pissed about that but whatever. I've started hanging out with Calum, he's basically my only friend. We hang out on our own. He's tried to get me to go to Luke's parties, but I know Michael will be there and I avoid him at all costs. Michael. My heart still hurts when I see him, but it's gotten better. I cried in my bed for a week straight after he first told me we should stay broken up. I heard Calum say that Michael was failing English but he must've passed because he didn't have to repeat anything (not that I was paying attention). This year we didn't have any classes together so that helped me avoid him.

"You know your homework isn't going to do itself," Calum and I were sitting at his kitchen table. I had been staring at my math homework for over a half an hour with doing a single problem.

"Funny. But let's go do something instead. I'm done with this," I set my pencil down and slammed my textbook shut.

"Summer you need to do that. You haven't done it the past two nights."

"What are you? My dad?" I didn't need this.

"I just want to help you,"

"That's all you ever want to do! What if I don't need helping?" I shoved my things in my bag and stormed out.

"Summer, wait!" Calum ran after me. He grabbed my arm causing me to stop. "You're scaring me. You're not yourself anymore. You haven't been for a long time."

"And why do you think that is, huh?" I crossed my arms over my chest.

"You need to talk to him. Maybe time was all you needed. I know he misses you."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You talk about me?"

"Not really, no. But think about talking to him?" he pleaded.

I sighed and I thought back to how happy I was for that short period of time with Michael. I thought about how he made me feel. I wanted to be happy again. "I'll talk to him," I agreed.

"Now can we please go do our math homework?"

"You're so weird, Calum," I laughed as we walked back into his house.

Michael's POV

I tipped back the bottle of vodka and loved the burn of the alcohol as I swallowed. I was laying on my bed, drunk. This had become a nightly occurrence. My music was blaring so loud the walls were shaking. My mom kept telling me to turn it down, but I ignored her.

The only things I got out of bed for were school so I didn't flunk out (to please my parents) and band practice. Luke kept saying that agents were gonna show up at our gigs and discover us or whatever but they never did. I told him I would believe him when it happened.

My phone rang, but I let it go to voicemail. I assumed it was one of the guys and I didn't feel like dealing with them right now. My eyes started to drift asleep, but my phone dinged with a voicemail so I decided to listen to it.

"Hi, Michael. It's uh, Summer." Summer? "I take it from you not answering that you probably don't want to talk to me, but if that's not the case you can call me back."

I suddenly felt sober. I sat up and thought about calling her right back. I looked at the time. 11:30 pm. Why was she calling so late? I decided I would wait to decide if I would call her back in the morning when I was actually sober.

I woke up clutching my phone and all my blankets on the floor. I had a massive headache. I groaned as I stretched and remembered that Summer called. What was I supposed to do? We haven't talked in a year. Sure, I still loved her and missed her like hell everyday but that didn't mean we were right for each other. It didn't hurt to talk though.

I bounced my leg up in down in nervousness as I sat on the edge of my bed as the phone rang. "Hello?" My breath caught at her voice. I couldn't believe I was hearing it again. "Michael?"

"Yeah, sorry. What did you wanna talk about?" my voice shaking.

"Not over the phone. Would you wanna meet for like pizza or something? At the mall?"

"Ok, in like an hour?" My palms were sweating just thinking about seeing her.

"Sounds good, Mikey," she said and hung up.

I took a shower knowing I smelled horrible, having not taken one in a few days. I found my only pair of clean pants, black skinny jeans and a band t-shirt and was ready way too early. I decided to just head to the mall and wait.

Summer's POV

I almost turned back multiple times on my way to the mall. With my luck he probably wouldn't even show. I had been so shocked that he even called me back. I tapped my fingers on my leg as entered the mall, going to the food court. I was running behind because I had spent so much time picking out something to wear. I wasn't sure why I even cared or why I wanted to impress him. I ended up just wearing a pair of jeans, a cream sweater with studs on the shoulders, and my black vans.

My breath caught when I saw Michael. He wasn't what you would describe as drop dead gorgeous, but there was something about him that made my heart race and brought butterflies to my stomach, even after all this time. He was right inside the mall, leaning against the wall. His hands were in his pockets and he was looking down at the ground, but when I walked in he looked up. I couldn't stop myself from wrapping my arms around him in a hug and inhaling his familiar scent.

"I missed you in my arms," he said into my hair and I wondered why I ever left him when this felt so right.

Heyy(: so do you think they'll get back together? please vote, comment. xx zoe